“I’ve got you!” said a posh voice.
Cherry clenched his eyes tight until two strong arms wrapped around him. Before he could make sense of things, he flung his eyes open to find himself held in a warm bridal hold. He was stunned with awe by a glittering, blue-haired, cat-boy with pointy ears atop his head. He smiled at Cherry and winked his blue lashes.
“I’ve got you.” The cat-boy moved like a fast blur with Cherry in his arms. They swooped down at the field and rocketed into the air. The cat-boy laughed freely as if he didn’t have a care in the world when he spun Cherry out of his arms.
Cherry felt weightless and lightheaded when he looked down. He was frightened to see the field and crowds below. The cat-boy never let go of Cherry’s hand and spun him into a dance. Before Cherry could speak, the cat-boy gave a cheeky grin and shushed him with his finger. He spun cherry around like a top and pulled out a microphone with a long cord. Cherry didn’t know where it came from, but he didn’t care, he wanted to get down. His feet spun out of control and the room swirled around him, making it feel as if he were dancing on puddles in the air.
“Alright, everybody! Are you ready for me?” The cat-boy held out his arm and stopped Cherry. “Looks like I’ve got a partner for the night.”
Cherry’s stomach churned with motion sickness, and he dreaded the thought of others seeing him throw up. Amidst his dread, he caught his first full glimpse of the cat-boy. Beneath his poofy short blue hair were striking aqua blue eyes that blended nicely with his tan skin. He was dressed in a black and blue crop top that was matched by a shiny jacket and pants filled with large holes. He pulled Cherry close and turned around, letting their backs touch. Cool water trickled over Cherry’s head and across his back. He shivered and gasped at the sight of watery wings sprouting out of the cat-boy’s back.
Cherry clenched his stomach. “I don’t feel so well.” It was all so frightening and exciting. It filled his dizzy head with so many questions that he couldn’t explain.
Then, the lights went out across the underground space and bright blue beams focused on the two of them. The people booed and started to shuffle around, below. A musty stench stirred up as a fog stretched through the air. A loud trance-like song blared out from the pit and rattled the pipes with its thumping acoustics. Cherry covered his ears and closed his eyes; they were sensitive to the sound.
“You know you don’t want me; you know you don’t need me. But you got me, you got me, like no one ever could…and I’m not giving up on you,” said the cat-boy. He yanked Cherry loose and danced around with him in one hand. With his microphone in the other, he sang loudly. “I’m what you don’t need, me, me, Candy!” A glittering blue dust burst throughout the crowd and illuminated the area in a mystifying wave of glitches. Water swirled into patterns and exploded into sparkling jelly fish that engulfed Cherry and Candy like silhouettes.
The crowd booed louder and threw things at Cherry and Candy.
“Get out of the air!” said an announcer. Their voice erupted over an intercom that drowned out Candy’s voice. “Get out or I’ll shoot, you talentless hack!”
Candy scoffed and the lights returned to normal. “You people are no fun.” He held onto Cherry with a tight grip and fluttered down to the ground.
The crowd continued to boo and throw things. “Get off the field! Let’s finish the game!”
“Hurry, this way!” Candy pulled Cherry over to the sidelines.
Cherry tried to catch his breath and absorb everything that happened. He shook his head and smacked his face, hoping to bring himself back to reality. It all felt like a fever dream. “Wh-what just happened? Who are you?”
“Is that anyway to treat the person who saved you?” Candy folded his arms and swayed his skinny tail around. His watery wings vanished into particles of light.
Cherry felt like he had been struck with a knife. He didn’t mean to appear rude, but he wanted answers. “Sorry.” He put his head down and backed away. “I just…don’t understand what’s going on.”
“You big oafs, you nearly killed me, and you got the crowd angry!” said a squeaky voice. Cherry and Candy looked around with wide goofy expressions. The baseball game resumed, and the crowd quieted down, but something squeaked nearby. Their ears twitched back and forth. “Down here, you dunces!”
“Are you hearing that?” Candy asked.
Cherry shook his head. “I can hear lots of things.”
Candy shrugged and pulled out two blue lollipops from inside his chest pocket. He tossed it in his mouth and worked it around like a cigarette. He reached the other to Cherry and smiled. “Here, short stuff, take it.”
Cherry brushed Candy’s hand away. “I don’t take candy from strangers.” Then, he gave Candy a side-eyed glare. “And my name is Cherry, sir.”
Candy’s eyes lit up with a happy glow. “Oh! Mister, is it?” He laughed and shoved the lollipop in Cherry’s mouth. “You heard me sing it, call me Candy.” He wrapped his arm around Cherry and stepped towards the ball field.
“Whatch it you fools!” said the squeaky voice.
“You know, Cherry, we could be called cherry candy! A perfect duo—then again, I don’t like red flavored things.” Candy thought it over for a moment. “Oh, how about, cotton candy?! With our exotic colors, we could be a mix of pink and blue!”
A little yellow dot wiggle free from Cherry’s foot and he yelped. It zoomed up towards his and Candy’s face. It looked like a stuffed toy, in the shape of a yellow bunny with a space helmet and cape. Its orange stitches were disheveled, and its helmet was scuffed across its angry narrow eyes. “You…you…dummies!” It gasped for breath. “You nearly kill me by knocking me off the edge, then, you land on me!”
Cherry and Candy scrunched their gawking faces and looked dumbfounded. This creature was just another thing to overload Cherry’s mind. With everything that had happened, so far, a floating talking bunny was the least of his worries.
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